1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a laminating tape that is affixed e.g. to a printing tape after printing, for lamination thereto to thereby protect the printed surface of the printing tape, and a to-be-laminated tape, such as the printing tape. The invention further relates to a method and a device for affixing the laminating tape to the to-be-laminated tape.
2. Prior Art
Conventionally, in a sequence of operations or steps for lamination of a laminating tape to a printing tape (to-be-laminated tape), the printing tape is printed as it is fed from a roll thereof, and at the same time the laminating tape is guided such that the laminating tape meets the printed tape at a confluence as the tapes are fed. At the confluence, the laminating tape and the printed printing tape are brought into contact with each other under pressure. In this case, the printing tape and the laminating tape, which are fabricated so that they have identical widths, are guided by a tape guide provided at the confluence. The guide is designed to prevent the two tapes from being laterally displaced from each other. However, to obtain a properly laminated tape, it is not only required to set up the tape guide accurately, but also to affix leading ends of the two tapes such that lateral sides thereof are accurately aligned with each other during the initial stage of the lamination. As shown in FIG. 1, if the leading ends of two tapes Tp, Tr are not initially affixed to each other without the slightest angular displacement at the start of lamination, the displacement increases as the lamination proceeds causing wrinkling and jamming of the tapes. The laminating tape is highly adhesive and flaccid. Therefore, the alignment operation for the initial lamination process cannot be easily automated, rather, it has conventionally been carried out manually.
However, using the conventional method for beginning the lamination process in which the printing tape and the laminating tape are aligned and affixed to each other manually makes the operation troublesome and it demands skill. This is true even when a jig for positioning the two tapes is used to assist in the alignment. Hence, the conventional method results in a degraded yield of the product (the printing tape having the laminating tape initially laminated thereto).